A comprehensive knowledge of the molecular biology underlying osteogenic differentiation in a controlled, laboratory setting may promise optimization of future cell-based tissue engineering strategies for clinical problems. The scope of this review encompasses a discussion of the methodology utilized to perform such studies. Our laboratory routinely performs both in vitro and in vivo assays underlying osteogenic differentiation, and the widespread use of singular methodology across multiple investigators and institutions promises great advancements for the skeletal tissue engineering community.
